Tangerang District Administration Requests Relaxation of Agricultural Land Conversion Controls
Tangerang District Government is requesting that regulations controlling the conversion of paddy field land be relaxed. The district administration stated that rapid development of industry and housing in its territory necessitates land conversion.
“Many regions, including Tangerang, feel locked in from developing their territory because of the Protected Paddy Field Land (LSD) regulation. In our view, this regulation is too restrictive,” said Tangerang District Secretary Soma Atmaja, in Serang City, Monday (9 March 2026).
According to Soma, land conversion cannot be avoided due to high demand in the housing and residential sectors. Additionally, the central government has mandated districts to construct subsidised housing for low-income communities.
“That’s not even considering the planned development of three toll road sections that will be constructed in Tangerang. Like it or not, these projects will require paddy field land. Then there’s industrial interests and so forth,” he said.
Soma proposed that food production control be implemented on a regional basis. He gave an example that Tangerang District could cooperate with other districts to maintain adequate food stock levels.
“The concept must be regional. If we are permitted to work with Lebak or Pandeglang District governments, it would not be a problem for our food security. In other words, paddy fields do not necessarily have to be located within a single district’s administrative area,” he stated.
Responding to this, Banten Provincial Secretary Deden Apriandhi Hartawan stated that Banten Provincial Government will help communicate this constraint to the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN).
“If we follow the Ministry of ATR/BPN’s regulations, paddy fields indeed cannot be converted. However, on the other hand, construction of road sections and economic centres such as factories is also very important. This is where a solution must be found,” said Deden.
Earlier, the government issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 4 of 2026 concerning the control of paddy field land conversion. Approximately 6.39 million hectares (ha) of raw paddy field land (LBS) will be designated as Protected Paddy Field Land (LSD) and Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B).
Food Sector Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) stated that the government has decided that paddy field land should not be converted for other purposes. This decision was made in a coordination meeting attended by the Minister of ATR/Head of BPN Nusron Wahid, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, Transmigration Minister Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, and Deputy Environment Minister Diaz Faisal Malik Hendropriyono.
“There are two important decisions. First, how to ensure that the paddy field area is established and cannot be changed further. Second, for those that have already been altered, how to address these cases,” said Zulhas at his office in Central Jakarta, Tuesday (10 February).
Meanwhile, Minister of ATR/Head of BPN Nusron added that the government will lock in 87% of the total 7.348 million hectares of raw paddy field land (LBS) spread across Indonesia. This means approximately 6.39 million hectares of paddy field land cannot be converted for other purposes.
“87% of 7.348 million hectares. That’s why I’ve frozen it in the spatial planning framework, we’ve locked it. If they don’t determine which 87% is located where, we declare all LBS as LP2B so there can be no land conversion in those areas for any purpose whatsoever,” said Nusron.